A Fox's Love (American Kitsune Book 1)

by Brandon Varnell

  "No/Yes," Kevin and Lilian both said at the same time. They looked over at each other, Kevin quickly looking away when the red head pouted at him.

  Lindsay raised an eyebrow. She looked at Lilian. "So if you two aren't going out, then what exactly is your relationship with Kevin?"

  Kevin's danger senses blared. Somehow, he just knew that if he let Lilian answer that question, she would say something potentially disastrous. His mouth opened, determined to answer the question when unfortunately for him, Lilian answered first.

  "He's my fiance," Lilian told the girl bluntly, at the same time taking Kevin's right arm into a possessive hold and glaring at the cute tomboy sitting in front of them, as if daring Lindsay to contradict her.

  Silence reigned for several seconds as everyone tried to process Lilian's words. Even the twins had stopped fighting when they heard the red head's proclamation. All of them seemed to be having a bit of trouble putting those words into a format they could fathom. Even Kevin was feeling a little dumbfounded, and he had been dealing with this girl for the past week.

  Honestly, you'd think that after being forced to put up with Lilian's antics for so long he would have become immune to anything she could say or do. Then she pulls a fast one and Kevin once more found himself floundering as he tried to retain a grip on reality. It was like she got a kick from pulling the metaphorical rug out from underneath him.

  "Oh, I get it!" Lindsay laughed as she looked between the two, a large grin on her face. "You guys are playing a prank! Good one! You really had me fooled. For a second, I actually thought you were being serious."

  "I am being completely serious," Lilian actually looked angry that Lindsay would dare to think she was anything other than serious when it came to her mate. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously and her lips had formed a thin line as she pressed them together. "Kevin and I are engaged to be married."

  ...

  ...

  More silence. Lindsay stared, and stared, and stared. In fact, she began staring so much that Kevin was getting very uncomfortable.

  Finally...

  "You're serious?" Lindsay looked at Lilian with wide eyes. "Like seriously serious?"

  "Of course I am," Lilian clutched a near catatonic Kevin even more tightly to herself. This caused Kevin's face to become a strange mixture of ghost white and tomato red. Think about those clowns you see when the circus comes to town, take away the large red nose, and you have an accurate description of what his face looked like. "Why would I lie about this?"

  "Wha... but..." Now it was Lindsay's turn to look completely bamboozled. A familiar wail sounded out in the distance. Kevin was beginning to feel the stress of the day catching up with him. Was it too late for him to find that hole?

  Finally, after several seconds in which all time seemed to stand still, Lindsay did something Kevin thought she would never do before. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head as the shock of Lilian's apparently honest admittance of their engagement caught up to the poor girl. Her body slumped forward and her face planted itself directly into the Chicken Ceaser Salad she had bought at the Cafeteria.

  "I think that went rather well," Lilian said absently as she speared her fork into her Greek Salad and began eating.

  Kevin planted his head face first onto the table and groaned. "Of course you would." It was official, this was The Worst Day Ever.

  Yes, that was all capitalized.

  Chapter 14: Hardships of a High School Student

  "So when did the two of you meet?" Leaning forward on her right forearm, her cheek resting on the butt of her left hand , Lindsay looked at the red-haired, green-eyed beauty sitting opposite her and next to Kevin. Her eyes were alight with interest. It was clear that she had every intention of interrogating her fellow female until she was well and truly satisfied with what she had learned.

  Upon waking up and realizing that, no, she wasn't caught up in some crazy dream and yes, Kevin really had somehow managed to bag himself a beauty who apparently considered them as good as married, the athletic brunette decided it was time for her to do something that she had never done before: gossip.

  "And how come we've never met until now?" Lindsay was sure that if her friend had a fiancée this hot, she would have known about it long before now. It should have been all over the school! So how was it that she hadn't even heard about Lilian, much less met her, until today? That was what she wanted to know. "Did you go to another school or something? Long distance relationship?"

  "The reason you haven't heard of me is probably because my Beloved and I haven't known each other for very long," Lilian informed the brunette. "As for when we met." She looked over at Kevin, a smile creeping onto her face like the dawning sun as it began to cast it's brilliant luminescence upon the Earth as she thought about the day she met her Beloved. It was an absolutely breathtaking smile, to which every male there could attest. Even Lindsay, who was a completely heterosexual female with no interest in the same gender, was feeling a little hot under the collar at that smile. "We met last week."

  At least she had been hot under the collar, until her mind fully processed the last part of what was said by the red-haired vixen. Then her eyes widened.

  "Wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold up! Slow down! Time out!" Lindsay held her hands up, forearms crossed in an X pattern as she stared at the girl incredulously. "You mean to tell me that you just met him last week and you're already thinking of marriage?" At Lilian's happy nod, Lindsay gawked at the other girl. So did the others, but they aren't as important to the story right now. "Isn't that taking things just a little too fast?"

  "No," Lilian was incredibly succinct in her answer. There was no hesitation in her voice. "I know that my Beloved is the one for me. Why would I want to wait to make sure he is “The One” when I already have the answer?"

  "Well," Lindsay looked a tad unsure of herself. "I guess you kind of have a point," she conceded, more from a lack of being able to think up any kind of counter argument than because she actually agreed with Lilian.

  The brunette shook her head. Regardless of her own beliefs on marriage, or the fact that she felt the redhead was taking things too fast, she couldn't really argue with the girl. And it was clear to everyone that Lilian wouldn't be dissuaded from her beliefs.

  Onto the next question then.

  "So when did you realize he was the one for you?"

  "Just a little while after we met." Lilian's eyes lit up at the thought of sharing the story about her first meeting with her Beloved. It was one she would obviously be cherishing for a long time to come. "I was injured when my Beloved found me, brought me to his apartment and tended to my injuries." She sighed, a dreamy expression on her face. "He was so gentle and treated me so tenderly that I couldn't help but fall in love with him."

  "Wow,” Lindsay whistled, impressed. Meanwhile, Kevin had buried his face in his hands to hide his growing blush. “That almost sounds like something you'd read about in a romance novel."

  “Or a manga.”

  “Or a manga,” Lindsay agreed with her fellow female.

  "Or a fanfiction."

  "Yes, or a... wait. What?"

  "Never mind."

  "Right.” Lindsay eyed the red head oddly. Shaking her head a second later, a grin spread across her face as she leaned forward. “So tell me more. How did you get past Kevin's shyness around girls?”

  "Urk!"

  For those who are wondering, yes, that was Kevin who just started making random choking noises. The reason for this could be due to the water he had been drinking going down his air passage upon hearing Lindsay's question. Or it could be completely unrelated to what the girl said. Who can say for sure?

  “His shyness?” Lilian tilted her head, her delicate eyebrows furrowing in thought and her lips pursing slightly. Eric, who had joined the group at some point during their conversation, had to cover his nose upon seeing that expression. Yes, he was nose bleeding. And to think, this wasn't even an anime where such things were common
ly expected from most male characters, especially ones as perverted as him. “He's not that shy.”

  “Not that shy?” Lindsay guffawed. “Kevin can hardly even talk to a girl without looking like someone shoved his head in a stove.” Said boy blushed brightly at her words. He wasn't that bad, was he? “He even has trouble talking to me, and I've been his friend for years.”

  “Really?” Lilian frowned. Lindsay nodded.

  “Really.”

  “There's no way he could be that bad,” Lilian defended her Beloved. “I mean, it's true he gets all cute and embarrassed sometimes." He's also passed out several times, but naturally, Lilian thought it had more to do with him just not feeling well than because of any shyness of girls. Plot Devices are convenient like that. "But I don't think he's ever been particularly shy.”

  That's because you tend to ignore all of his negative traits.

  “I do not.”

  Yes you do.

  "Be quiet."

  ...

  “Lilian?” Lindsay looked at the girl oddly again. “Who are you talking to?”

  "I ask her that all the time," Kevin quipped. "She'll never tell you."

  Lindsay raised an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to say something to the young man, but before she could give voice the question on her lips, Lilian spoke again.

  “No one.”

  "See what I mean?"

  “Anyways, where was I?" There was a slight pause as Lilian tapped the index finger of her right hand against her lower lip, her head raised slightly so she could look up at the ceiling of the gazebo in thought. Alex, Andrew, and Eric all gulped as they stared at her lips, soft jawline and the elegant curvature of her neck. "Oh, right," she snapped her fingers. "We were talking about my Beloved being shy." Gracing her fellow female with a look, she said, "There's no way he could be as bad as you say." Lilian nodded to herself, as if affirming her own thoughts on the matter. "Why, just the other day he and I were making out on the floor of his apartment.”

  The term “silent as a grave” came to Kevin's mind after Lilian dropped her bombshell on his friends, for that was how quiet it became after Lilian finished speaking. Not even the crickets were chirping.

  "He was really getting into it."

  Several crows cawed in the distance, breaking the silence.

  It was a testament to his development as The Main Protagonist that Kevin was able to speak before anyone else did. “When did that happen!? I don't remember this!?”

  Naturally, because it hadn't happened the way she said it did. Lilian had been doing all the work. Kevin had been practically insensate.

  “And there was also that one time he and I shared a bath together.”

  “That never happened either!”

  “I got to wash his back.”

  “Don't tell them such an obvious lie! And stop ignoring me!”

  “We also sleep together every night.”

  Everyone turned to look at Kevin, who suddenly found himself in the spotlight. The boy's cheeks went off like a flare in the night in response to all the expectant stares being sent his way. Dang, they really knew how to make a guy feel uncomfortable.

  “Um... that is one actually is true,” he admitted reluctantly. “B-but the rest are complete lies!”

  Naturally, no one believed him.

  Lilian's lips quirked into a triumphant smile. "If my Beloved was as shy as you say he is then he wouldn't have been so brazen with me.” She crossed her arms under her chest, which caused Eric to begin nose bleeding... again. “So there."

  “I can't believe it,” Lindsay whispered in shock. Her eyes had also gotten pretty wide. “Our shy, little Kevin is all grown up and doing perverted things to his future bride.”

  “She's not my bride!” He paused, then blushed. "And we haven't been doing perverted things! None of that stuff happened!"

  "Does your mom know about this?"

  "Geh!"

  "I'll take that as a no," Lindsay shook her head in equal parts amusement and surprise. "Who knew our little Kevin was such a bad boy." She snickered at the look on said 'Bad Boy's' face. "You rebel, you."

  "Ugwa."

  "Stop making funny noises for no reason, Beloved," Lilian said. Kevin glared at her. If he was making strange noises, it was her fault!

  “Kevin!”

  A hand landed on his shoulder. Kevin turned around to face Eric, Alex and Andrew. All three of them were staring at him with something akin to awe, and jealousy, but mostly awe.

  They were also crying. As in, really crying. No, seriously. There was even snot coming out of their nose they were crying so hard.

  Well, except for Eric. He still had blood coming out of his nose.

  “I hate you so much right now.” Manly tears were running down Eric's face, pouring out of his eyes like two massive waterfalls as he spoke. “But at the same time.” He raised his free hand and gave Kevin a thumbs up, a cheesy grin plastered on his face even as the tears continued streaming down. “I'm so proud of you!”

  For some reason Kevin imagined Eric standing on a cliff overlooking the ocean, the setting sun at his back and waves crashing against the rocks as the gleam from the sun 'pinged' off his teeth.

  It was all kinds of creepy.

  “Don't say that so happily!” Kevin spat, his face red. “And aren't you supposed to be angry at me or something!?”

  “I still am.” Eric tried to stem the flow of manly tears with his arm to no effect. There was no stopping tears like that. When a man cries, he cries hard. “But I also feel this strange sense of pride! Does that make sense?”

  “No!”

  “So what's sleeping with Kevin like?” Lindsay was now letting her imagination run wild. Who knew her ridiculously shy friend had it in him to sleep with a girl he had only known for a little over a week? It was the scandal of the century! And her inner gossip (which had been conveniently hidden away until just this moment) demanded to know more!

  “Don't ask questions like that!”

  That was Kevin, again. The two girls ignored him, again.

  “It's amazing.” Lilian held her hands to her cheeks as she thought about those amazing nights they slept together on the bed... erm... couch. It didn't matter if one of them was an unwilling participant and the other snuck in only after the unwilling one had fallen asleep. At least it didn't matter to her. For Kevin, it was an entirely different story. “My Beloved is so warm and cuddly, and it's so nice to rest my head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat as I fall asleep.” She grinned a devilish grin. “And I like that he doesn't sleep with a shirt on.”

  “Eep!”

  “It is kind of disappointing that he won't let us sleep naked,” Lilian added with a pout. Kevin 'eeped!' again. Lindsay gaped, the twins stared, and Eric began crying that much harder. “I don't know why he won't let us sleep naked together. I mean, we've done it before.”

  “WHAT!?”

  “What do you mean you two have slept naked together!?”

  “Have you gone all the way?”

  “What my brother really wants to know is if you two have fucked yet?”

  “Kevin! How could you do this to me!? I thought we were friends!”

  Bombarded by voices asking questions and making accusations, Kevin cried out to the heavens.

  “Why me!?”

  Scene break.

  It took a good deal of time for everyone to calm down and allow Kevin to try and explain the situation to them. He couldn't, not because he didn't try, but because no one believed him. As far as they were concerned, everything Lilian had just told them was true. The fact that he had admitted to him and Lilian sleeping together had done little to help his case.

  It made Kevin want to cry again.

  "I still don't get it," said Alex. Judging by the frown on his face, he was a tad annoyed. Just what was annoying him was something no one could figure, though from the way he was glaring at Kevin it most likely had something to do with our Hapless Hero. "How is it that out of all of us
here, you're the one who managed to get a hot girlfriend? We all know you can't talk to a girl to save your life."

  "That's right," added Andrew. "If anything, I'm the one who should have gotten the super hot girlfriend before any of you. I am the most handsome, dashing and charming among us, after all."

  "Like hell you are!" Alex growled, throwing his brother a scathing glare. "I'm way more handsome than you are!"

  "Ha! Don't be an idiot, brother. We all know who the better looking twin is, and it sure as hell ain't you!"

  "You wanna go!"

  "Bring it!"

  "I don't think I'll ever understand how those two can constantly fight like that," Kevin sighed. Shouldn't twins have that weird twinergy thing that allows them to know each other so well they could finish each others sentences without even thinking about it? These two certainly didn't have that.

  "Who cares about them!" Eric cried out as he gave Kevin an accusing glare. Now that his episode of manly tears and pride was over he was back to feeling nothing but hate towards his best friend. "I can't believe you would do this to me! Have I not been your best friend ever since we were in second grade? Haven't we done everything together? You promised me that you would help me find a hot girl to date after you and Lindsay started going out! Now look at you! Not dating Lindsay, and you've somehow got the hot girl you were going to hook me up with for yourself!"

  “Would you keep your voice down!” Kevin hissed. He cast a glance over at Lindsay to make sure the girl hadn't heard them. When he was sure that the brunette was too embroiled in her own conversation to be listening in on theirs, he looked back at Eric and glared. “And I never remember making a promise like that before."

  "Okay, so I made that part up," Eric admitted. His glare returned. "Still, I thought you would have my back. You know, bros before hoes and all that."

  "And how many times have you ditched me to chase after a girl?" Kevin asked. He didn't give Eric time to answer. It was a rhetorical question anyways. "I don't think you have any right to tell me that I'm supposed to put your well being and happiness before a girl. Besides," Kevin stabbed his fork into the Shrimp Saganaki and absently stuck the food in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. It really was quite good. He wondered where she had gotten the shrimp though. He didn't remember having any shrimp in his fridge... "It's not like I actually want her following me around every where I go. Like I said, I don't like her like that."